Parents' Guide to

Brushing Hero

By Mieke VanderBorght, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Brush teeth, defeat monsters; hero for some, not for all.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free Education
Brushing Hero Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Brushing Hero App: Screenshot #1
  • Brushing Hero App: Screenshot #2
  • Brushing Hero App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

Alicatt07
Alicatt07 Adult
November 20, 2020
age 2+

Good game needs work

My daughter used to fight us to brush her teeth but now she willingly is excited to do it every morning and night. The camera has a hard time seeing her face sometimes, it’s bright in our bathroom so sometimes I have to hold it for her and move it around a bit to sense her instead of letting it sit on the counter. I wish you could have different profiles for kids to use because if one kid gets a high score, then everyone has to beat it rather than just beat their own scores which is a little sad to see. Also I wish you could change the brushing time especially. We brush our teeth for two minutes and the game is just one. We play both games in a row but we messed it up one day and it locked us out for three hours. If they could fix just the last two things I would definitely rate this game five stars because it has helped immensely. But as soon as our second and third get old enough to play we won’t be able to.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

Allow BRUSHING HERO to access your device's camera, and set the device in a stable location so that the camera can see your kid brushing his or her teeth. Once started, kids see themselves on-screen with a hero's helmet on their head. While the one-minute timer counts down, kids' vigorous brushing motions send strength up to cartoon warriors fighting monsters at the top of the screen. The more monsters they defeat, the more coins kids earn. Earn hero cards to increase attack power, and beat a dragon every 30 levels to earn a new helmet.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though parents tired of arguing with their kids about the importance of brushing their teeth may find this extra motivation appealing, it may not work for all. Brushing Hero is a cute idea and sure to appeal to kids. It's really neat to see yourself on-screen with the hero's helmet on and to see your actions affect the action on the screen. Kids may very well get their arms pumping in an effort to beat the monsters. Unfortunately, however, the timer only goes for one minute, despite the well-known recommendation to brush for at least two minutes. The three-hour wait period is a nice thought, as it's probably there to discourage kids from just wanting to play again and again and again. However, kids are forced to ignore the block and sacrifice points to play twice in a row so that they can follow the recommendation and brush for two minutes. Logistically, it can be tricky to get the device in the right place and at the right angle for it all to work well. More generally, some parents may want to think twice before they introduce a screen to yet another small ritual of their kids' lives without any embedded education about why the habit is important in the first place.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why it's important to brush your teeth, with or without Brushing Hero.

  • Does using Brushing Hero make brushing your teeth more fun? Why or why not?

  • Sing songs, make a family competition, use timers, do a dance, or include other fun family traditions to encourage kids to brush their teeth at least two times per day, for two minutes each time.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
  • Skills: Health & Fitness : hygiene and self care
  • Pricing structure: Free (purchase additional content with $.99 in app purchase.)
  • Release date: December 12, 2018
  • Category: Education
  • Topics: Superheroes
  • Publisher: LITALICO Inc.
  • Version: 1.0.4
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
  • Last updated: July 11, 2020

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended app lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate